In the past decade, between my family and I, we have been to Belfast, Bosnia, New Orleans, Ciudad Juarez, Guatemala City, Pine Ridge, Guadalajara, and yes, Chicago. Aside from a little credit card issue, our only incident involving crime was being pick-pocketed in Rome.

Keep your head on a swivel, know where you are going and treat everyone you meet with courtesy and a caution. Life is too short to be afraid of shadows.